2025-08-13 17:56:18
Graphic elements are the secret sauce of bold, expressive design. From abstract shapes to layered gradients, these components can set the tone of your entire composition. When used creatively, they do more than decorate. They communicate energy, emotion and identity.
We’ll explore how to use graphic elements to elevate your work through two hands-on poster design tutorials.
I saw those retro shapes that reminded me of the tetris game, along with other retro game inspired elements and I wanted to give them a twist and play with the different angles of the tetris elements and merge them with photography.
Choose a dynamic photo, cut out the subject, and apply a halftone filter to give it that nostalgic comic-book feel. Place it on a vibrant background color that complements the Tetris-inspired shapes.
Create or import retro game-style block shapes (like Tetris pieces), and scatter them throughout your layout as if they’re falling into place. Rotate and flip them to avoid symmetry and bring life to the composition.
Now, for a creative twist: separate the sides of the blocks and insert parts of your photo into each shape using clipping masks. Apply a gradient map that matches the background for color harmony, and use perspective tools to give the shapes dimensionality.
For this poster the idea was to create a retro futuristic poster inspired by Daft Punk and cyberpunk aesthetic, and the gradient shapes work perfectly to create that feeling and use them to create that modern feel.
Create a grid and fill it with colorful gradient shapes. These form the background and set the tone with movement and energy.
Select a retro-futuristic subject (like a costume or helmeted figure), cut it out, and apply a grain filter to age the photo. Position it centrally for visual impact.
Add abstract gradient shapes in front of and behind the character to build dimensionality. Apply a gradient map to the photo to introduce a glitch-style color effect.
Incorporate glitch overlays, neon-style typography, and futuristic details like numbers or data streams across the grid squares to suggest a computer interface or sci-fi dashboard.
Finish with light effects, grain textures, and subtle distortions to unify the visual style and complete the cyberpunk aesthetic.
Graphic elements are more than just background filler, they’re tools for storytelling. Whether you're evoking nostalgia with retro blocks or channeling the future through gradients and glitch, shapes, textures, and layering can transform your design from static to unforgettable.
Use graphic elements to build depth, emotion, and rhythm into every poster you make.
2025-07-31 23:42:30
From flowing lines to subtle surfaces, this month's update brings a bit of everything. New illustration sets. New textures. A handy VS Code extension. And a timely icon set for fans of red jumpsuits and masked games.
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new and where it fits in your workflow.
Some brands aren’t supposed to feel 'polished'. They’re supposed to feel cinematic. Emotional. Larger than life.
We've added new Art Deco vectors to bring you that richness, nostalgia, and romantic visual storytelling.
We were inspired by the bold, sculptural lines of 1920s toasters, the opulence of Ritz Paris, Madeleine Vionnet’s iconic Art Deco gowns, and the striking visuals of Erté (Romain de Tirtoff).
Art Deco illustrations works well for bold, elegant, and structured layouts. You can use it for luxury branding, high-end events, or projects that evoke a sense of nostalgia.
Art Nouveau illustrations add a flowing, organic feel. Ideal for beauty, fashion, or anything with a romantic or handcrafted vibe. You can use them in boutique perfume brands, artisanal jewelry, or eco-conscious fashion brands.
Vintage Text Dividers ornaments are perfect for separating sections in a romantic/classic way. You could use them in upscale menus, wedding invitations.
Our new Streamline extension is now available on VS Code.
Not using VS Code? No problem!
As part of our commitment to open-source, we've also published our extension on Open VSX which is the largest open-source VSX extension repository. With this you can download it on Cursor, VSCodium, Kiro, and other VS Code forks. Just open your IDE's extensions section and search for "Streamline Icons".
Sometimes a solid background feels too flat, but bold textures are too loud.
Our new Light & Dark Subtle Patterns add just enough depth to keep things cohesive.
Light patterns work best on bright or white backgrounds to add gentle depth.
While dark patterns are great for dark mode designs or muted color schemes.
Even good design can feel unfinished without the right detail. This is why we have textures.
Textures help add depth, personality, and visual interest to designs. They’re super versatile and can be used as backgrounds, overlays, or accent elements.
Seamless textures are designed to tile perfectly (you can repeat them across a large area without seeing any edges or breaks). They’re ideal for backgrounds, sections, or patterns that need to feel continuous.
Non-seamless textures aren’t made for repeating. They’re better used as single images, like hero backgrounds, overlays, or decorative accents where a unique, non-repeating look is preferred.
A playful icon set inspired by Squid Game, perfect timing with Season 3 now streaming. From masked guards to honeycomb chaos, these icons capture the tension, charm, and dark humor of the series. Free to use and share.
As always, Streamline has a generous free tier that you can use, with large sampler packs. The pro version is available via a subscription as well as via a lifetime plan.
Thanks for choosing Streamline! If you've designed with Streamline, share it with us. We'd love to see!
2025-07-25 20:19:23
Submit your best icon designs (or creative use cases featuring Streamline icons) and get featured in our monthly showcase.
The icon design community never ceases to amaze us. Each month brings fresh creativity, and we’ll be back with more handpicked projects to spark your inspiration. ✨
Missed a past edition? Explore the Icon Spotlight posts.
2025-07-16 17:24:59
Icons are more than just decorative elements, they’re powerful design tools that can be used to create unique posters due to its nature. When used intentionally, icons can guide the eye, build visual metaphors, and inject personality into your projects.
In this post, we’ll explore through creative tutorials that show exactly how to turn a basic icon set into expressive, dynamic compositions. You’ll learn how to build playful characters with simple shapes and how to blend photography with illustration to create high-energy, music-inspired designs.
In this first poster tutorial, the goal is to create an artwork from scratch using simple geometric shapes, specifically circles, and bring them to life with icon-based expressions. This approach can also work using triangles, squares, or abstract shapes.
First we need to create the circular shapes and distribute them through the layout (you can help the process by using a grid) and to give later the personality to each circular shape it’s important to apply color psychology and give each shape a specific color.
Now that we have the shapes distributed around the layout, it’s time to emphasize on their personality, and we add a face using face icons, and as the idea is to create a playful poster you can look at quirky and playful expressions.
Let’s add more “Playfulness” to each shape, so we can add hand icons and a party hat icon that will emphasize this feeling at the same time that it gives more context for the design and make it look more rich visually.
Use a soft brush on a new layer to apply shadows (with darker tones) and highlights (with lighter tones) around the edges of each shape, this will give more depth to our design.
Incorporate your main text (play with bold, fun typefaces), add a frame, and include final touches like textures or subtle filters to bring the composition together.
In this second design, the challenge is to express energy, rhythm, and groove using a pre-designed icon set. The final piece is a digital collage that combines photography and illustration to create a dynamic, music-driven poster.
Select a hero image (ideally of a person or silhouette), and integrate it with the icon of earphones. Use shadows to blend both elements seamlessly.
Create a bold title (like “Feel the Sound”) using a groovy display font. In this case, “Marshmallow” was chosen, matching the earphone color to visually connect the title with the icons.
Add more icons from the same set (music notes and groovy icons) around the subject to emphasize sound and motion.
Use the brush tool to sketch radiating lines or waves from the earphones to reflect how the music is affecting the character.
Finish the composition with filters, textures, and subtle lighting effects. The goal is to merge all elements into a cohesive, energetic scene that feels alive.
As you've seen in these tutorials, they can do much more than simply support information. They can tell stories, build atmosphere, and transform abstract concepts into engaging visuals.
Whether you're playing with geometry or blending icons with photography, the key is to experiment, exaggerate, and layer with purpose.
Dive into your next project with fresh eyes and try turning a simple icon set into something unforgettable.
2025-07-08 17:10:54
Most icon sets struggle at small sizes. They’re too detailed, too busy, too hard to read. Micro is built different: ultra-minimal, purpose-designed for compact interfaces.
Now with 1100 new icons (550 Line and 550 Solid), Micro is more complete, flexible, and ready for today’s dense, mobile-first UIs. Other sets get messy in tight spaces. Micro stays clear, sharp, and perfectly readable, even at the smallest sizes.
Unlike larger icon sets, Micro icons are designed specifically for tight UI spaces: inline text, toolbars, footnotes, small action buttons, or dense layout where clarity is critical.
Every icon is crafted on a 10x10px grid, our smallest yet, using a rational construction system with rounded ends and minimal detail. The result is an icon that’s crisp, legible, and space-efficient, even at the smallest sizes.
Traditional icons often break at small sizes: too detailed, too complex, too noisy. Micro solves this by stripping down to the essentials, making icons usable where other sets fail. It’s the answer to frustrating, unreadable visuals in compact layouts.
If you’re already using other sets but struggle with size constraints, Micro ensures your visuals remain clear and readable without visual clutter.
Interfaces are getting denser, and design needs are becoming more complex. Themes like AI, business, healthcare, and project management are no longer niche—they’re essential. To keep up, Micro needed to expand.
Designing within a tiny grid isn’t forgiving. Expanding Micro meant translating complex, modern concepts into simple, readable forms without compromising clarity or visual balance. Every pixel had to serve a purpose.
This update brings broad coverage across new and emerging themes like AI, business, project management, healthcare, travel, and essential UI elements. It ensures that Micro remains complete, relevant, and ready for modern design.
Micro works beautifully on its own, but also pairs well with a range of illustration styles. Its neutral look makes it versatile, able to complement clean, minimal visuals or balance out more expressive, detailed artwork. This set is visually compatible with:
Combine icon sets thoughtfully and let each one play to its strength. Use Micro for secondary elements, like toolbars, footnotes, or dense UI blocks, and reserve standard sets for main navigation or prominent actions. It pairs especially well with:
Micro just got its biggest update yet with 1100 new icons and counting. With more updates on the way, this is just the beginning.
2025-06-27 13:10:03
Let's get started 👇
We designed these AI assistant/tool icons a while back — exploring two visual directions: sparkles vs robot heads. Which one feels better for a modern UI? Find the answers in this Reddit post.
Sparkles or robots to represent AI in your UI? ✨🤖
by u/webalys in UI_Design
The Streamline team is 100% remote, with designers, developers, marketing, and support spread across the globe. Most of our team culture lives in Slack, and a recent chat about work-life balance quickly turned into a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation. Read more about it in this article.
Ysabell Bondoc
Submit your best icon designs—or creative use cases featuring Streamline icons—and get featured in our monthly showcase.
The icon design community never ceases to amaze us. Each month brings fresh creativity—and we’ll be back with more handpicked projects to spark your inspiration. ✨
Missed a past edition? Explore the Icon Spotlight posts.
